The Frugal Catholic: God Will Provide by Ole and La Donna Rose Gundersen
One of the beauties of aging is reconnecting with old friends from past endeavors. For example, when Captain Mike and I went to Alaska on a cruise with our two granddaughters in the summer of 2025, I saw a friend's amazing cookbooks in just about every store in each Alaskan city we visited, which meant it was time to reconnect. So here is the story of how God turned Alaskan fish into a profitable dish for this married Christian team of Ole and La Donna Gundersen.
When I last saw Ole and La Donna Rose Gundersen, twenty years ago, La Donna mentioned she was working on her first cookbook using knowledge gained from fishing with her husband, Ole, in Alaska. And at present, on their website, Ole has professionally filmed the beauties of this rugged industry. Likewise, through her seven "LITTLE" inspiring fish cookbooks, La Donna has captured its flavor. Thus, from living on the water, this team has, in their 20 years of writing books, created two children's books in addition to the seven cookbooks, again educating the rest of us on Alaskan wildlife from someone who knows it firsthand.
At the present time, the Gundersens, in their 60s and firm advocates of Intermittent Fasting for 16 years, are backing away from the rigors of fishing and focusing their efforts on their cookbooks, the tourism industry, and their investments.
So, for your pleasure in living more simply, whether on water or on land, here is La Donna Gundersen.
1. The Frugal Catholic--La Donna Rose, how and when did you become a fisherwoman?
I married a fisherman from Alaska, and that’s really where it all began for me. We started fishing together in 1988, and I learned everything hands-on, right there on the boat, season by season.
I didn’t grow up doing it, but it quickly became a way of life I fell in love with. Over the years, it’s shaped us.
2. TFC---What do and did you enjoy most about your work?
I’ve truly loved working side by side with my husband and building a life that gives us both freedom and flexibility. Being able to work a focused season each year and then have the rest of the time to enjoy life, travel, and be together has meant everything to me. I've most. appreciated that balance between hard work and real living.
3. TFC--How often now do you fish? And for what? How difficult is fishing in Alaska for a living?
We’ve dialed it back to about seven weeks in the summer, fishing for five different salmon species, which has been a really nice balance for us. Overall, it hasn’t been too difficult, aside from the long days. We’re usually up around two in the morning and don’t wrap up until about ten at night, so there’s definitely some sleep deprivation, but it’s all part of the rhythm of the season and a life we truly enjoy.
4. TFC--Tell us about your cookbooks. Truly, I think you make the fish on the covers of your books look glamorous. What has God taught you in this endeavor?
My cookbooks really grew out of our life on the water and in our home. We wanted to share simple, beautiful ways to prepare the fish we work so hard to catch, and Ole’s photography brought that to life in a way that made each dish feel special. He truly has a gift for capturing even a salmon in a way that feels a little glamorous.
What God has taught me through all of this is to trust the process and use what’s right in front of me. None of it was something I had fully planned out. It grew step by step, season by season. I’ve learned patience, gratitude, and to stay open to opportunities I never expected. It’s been a reminder that even the small, everyday parts of our life can turn into something meaningful when we’re willing to share them.
5. TFC--Has earning a living in Alaskan nature brought you and Ole closer to God? How can the rest of us in the lower 48 benefit from your wisdom? Also, any marriage tips, since the two of you have lived in close quarters on a boat for a long time?
Living and working in Alaska has a way of drawing you closer to God without even trying. When you’re surrounded by that kind of raw beauty and unpredictability, you’re constantly reminded that you’re not in control. It has deepened our faith, strengthened our trust, and taught us to be grateful in a very real, everyday way.
For those in the lower 48, I think the biggest takeaway is to slow down and pay attention. You don’t have to be in Alaska to notice God’s presence. It’s in the quiet moments, in nature, and in the simple rhythms of daily life when you choose to look for it.
As for marriage, living in close quarters on a boat will either pull you apart or bring you very close together. For us, it’s been about respect, patience, and a shared purpose. We’ve learned to give each other grace, communicate honestly, and not take the little things too seriously. At the end of the day, we’re a team, and that mindset has carried us through everything.
6. TFC--Is there anything else I need to know or have forgotten to ask?
One thing worth sharing is that none of this life was carefully planned. It unfolded one season at a time, through a lot of hard work, faith, and simply saying yes to opportunities as they came.
Also, behind everything we’ve done, from fishing to cookbooks to connecting with others, has been a desire to share a real, honest glimpse of this life. Not just the beautiful parts, but the early mornings, the long days, and the commitment it takes.
And finally, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that a meaningful life doesn’t have to look big or complicated. It’s often built in the everyday moments, doing something you love with people you love.
Simple Shrimp Scampi from The Little Alaskan Shrimp Cookbook by LaDonna Rose Gundersen
John 6:8-9 —"One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 'There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes, but what are they among so many?' "
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Martha Wild King, M.Ed., author
The Frugal Catholic — Learn to Live on Less to Give and Save More!
Frugality gave us wealth, BUT the Catholic Church made us rich!
The author of The Frugal Catholic with her 6th grandchild, whom she and Captain Mike are raising and homeschooling with Seaton Home Study School. This is The Frugal Catholic's 26th year of homeschooling her lambs.
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